'Harry Potter' Star Radcliffe Will Go Nude, Torture Horses

"Harry Potter" fans do not rejoice: Daniel Radcliffe's next project is not for young audiences.

The British lad will make his London West End stage debut next year in Peter Shaffer's disturbing psychodrama "Equus," report news sources.

The play, which originally opened in London's National Theatre in 1973, centers on 17-year-old Alan Strang (Radcliffe) who seemingly without provocation blinds six horses with a metal spike in a stable in Hampshire. Psychiatrist Martin Dysart is sent in to investigate what prompted Alan to commit the atrocity, but in the process, begins to question his own integrity and what constitutes "normal."

"It is an extraordinary play, and he's very much looking forward to the role," says Radcliffe's spokeswoman, Vanessa Davies. "He is maturing as an actor and beginning to take on new and challenging roles."

In one scene of the play, Alan rides a horse naked while simulating sexual ecstasy. Aware that prurient minds want to know if Radcliffe will go au naturel, Davies only adds, "Yes, there is a scene of nudity in it, but that's not what the play is about."

Radcliffe will reunite with his mean "Harry Potter" Uncle Vernon, played by actor Richard Griffiths, who will portray the conflicted Dysart. Rehearsals will begin in January, and the play is expected to open in March. A 1977 film adaptation starred Richard Burton as the psychiatrist and Peter Finch as the troubled youth.

For now though, Radcliffe continues his wizarding ways and will finish filming "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth installment of the J.K. Rowling series, in October or November. He also recently wrapped shooting "December Boys," in which he plays one of four orphans who vies to get adopted by a seaside couple.